CANADIAN METER STAMP NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 CANADIAN METER TAMP NEWLETTER Editor:- Ross Irwin, Marilyn Dr., Guelph, ON., N1H 8E rossir@inforamp.net Associate Editor and Treasurer:- Dave Cooper, 35 outh High t., Thunder Bay, ON., P7B 3K3 NO EDITOR' NOTE TO CUT OR NOT TO CUT! A perplexing problem for beginners and older collectors is always the form in which to store or mount postage meter impressions. Today, almost 55 percent of the postage revenue generated in Canada in the form of metered mail. Most of this is business mail and with the exception of dentist bills, etc. the metered covers are usually No. 10 envelopes, or even the larger metric equivalent and "flats". Credit card covers are smaller but are la -aft or recycled papers and usually bear additional postage cancellations making them undesirable to collect. Government sources mail in larger lcraft envelopes, say 10 in. by 14 in. or larger. Is it realistic to keep these large covers if they do not lend themselves to a philatelic display format? I think not unless they have some "valuable" marking. o, if we are not to keep the entire envelope what portion should be retained? In my view the very minimum size should correspond to a parcel post adhesive tape of 33 mm high by a convenient length depending on the meter or presence of a slogan or corner card. This size is reasonably easy to mount and describe. However, wouldn't it be nicer to have some of your early Edward's or Victoria's stamps still tied to a cover? When someone soaked off the stamp so it would fit a rectangle in a stamp album how much was its value decreased? The answer depends on its scarcity. Run of the mill meters may as well be cut to any suitable size but rarer material should be kept entire. Do we really know at a point in time what is rare? The important items on a cover are the stamp or indicia, the address and the addressee. Any size that incorporates these three items, together with other postal markings such as registration marks, is all that is required. I think the ideal cover for storage, mounting and exhibition is a No. 8 envelope which is 160 mm by 92 mm. The most convenient "cut" to this size is 75 mm high by the length of the cover. I also cut the No. 10 envelopes 75 mm high but to preserve the address and corner card I make a double fold so it is 160 mm long. Let's face the facts. Collecting metered mail is a personal hobby. You decide what you want to collect and how you want to do it. Don't let others unduly influence you. However, you are only on this earth for a limited time and while you think you own the stamps in actual fact you only control them for a finite period of time. Don't ruin the enjoyment of others who will follow by trimming covers too small. Once cut your decision is irreversible. However, for 99.9 percent of the current mail it really will not matter. Please write me an opinion on the above. 54-1

2 (From the Net). Canada Post postal indicia announcements: On January 28, 1997, we received a letter from Canada Post regarding formatting, size, content and printing of the postal indicia for bulk mail. You may have seen bulk mail with the postal indicia applied with a postage meter. Canada Post states "Phosphorescent ink, such as the ink supplied for meter machines, is not acceptable for use in imprinting the postal indicia to a mail piece.". From this, one can draw the conclusion that the indicia cannot be applied by a meter that uses phosphorescent ink. HOWEVER, NOTE THAT BULK MAIL CAN TILL BE METERED WITH A BULK PLATE IF THE MAILING PIECE WEIGH 50 GRAM OR LE. Typically, the bulk permit number and name or postal code of the office of induction (post office where mail is dropped off) have been included in the bulk postal indicia. For example: or FERGU ON NIM 1NO As of January 15, 1997, the inclusion of the town name or postal code of the office of induction is optional. That is, FERGU ON or NIM 1NO in the examples above is no longer required. Our preference would be to continue to show this information. However, the decision rests with our clients. In this letter, Canada Post also reconfirms that the postal indicia must measure at least 12 mm x 25 mm (1/2" x 1") and must not exceed 40 mm x 74 mm (1 1/2" x 3"). Also, characters printed within the indicia must measure at least 2 mm (3/32") and not exceed 5 mm (3/16") in height. Last but not least, there is both a French and English version of the indicia. With the French, French "Nbre" appears on the left and "Blk" appears on the right. In the English version this is reversed. Please see the following examples: French Nbre Blk English Blk Nbre PLEAE DON'T PANIC. THI DOE NOT MEAN that pieces of mail to French destinations have to use the French indicia and mail to English recipients the English indicia. However, if the return address on the mailing piece is in the Province of Quebec, then the French indicia must be used. If the return address is for any other province in Canada then the English indicia must be used. The purpose for presenting the above information supplied by a mailing company is to show the regulations they follow so you may interpret a cover. 54-2

3 From the National Postal Museum London, 1992, "Work in Progress" Meter Marks A FRIEND OF the Museum, Jack Peach, has continued research into the Museum's meter marks and together with Jack Goodwin has concentrated on mounting part of the H.J. Howard collection. He reports that the year 1927 has now been reached. The results of some of his researches are detailed below. The first licences had been granted in 1922 to Pitney Bowes and Universal Postal Frankers. The former aimed at the user with quantities of single rate mail. UPF, on the other hand, sold a handoperated machine with reciprocatory action but which accommodated six frank dies readily selectable without a meter change. Additionally, the UPF machine could include a slogan die with attractive advertising value to the user. Printing a slogan with the Pitney Bowes machine involved a second pass after exchanging the meter for a slogan printer. In 1923 UPF attempted to gain a share of the large user market by importing a few cancelling machines from International Postal upply Company (UA) and fitting meters. Between 1924 and 1926 UPF developed a small three-value machine, the Midget, with rotary action. During the time that the Midget was being developed the UPF Managing Director E.H. Kinnard left to form a third company, Neopost Ltd, with his brother's company, Roneo Ltd, having the exclusive sales agency. A competitive machine to the Midget was quickly developed and sold as the Neopost. This was capable of printing several different value franks. All machines used a similar design of frank but whilst the marks made by the two earliest were readily distinguishable that was not the case with the more recent ones. It was considered necessary to distinguish makes and models in case of complaint of irregular use. Make and Model prefix letters were added to the machine numbers in franks - M for Midget and N for Neopost. This practice continues to the present day. HOWARD' KETCH suggesting the meter frank design eventually adopted. Marks from all these early machines are well represented in the Museum collection. Once meter franking machines began to be used in greater numbers the frank marks became associated with bills and advertising leaflets. Mr Kinnard was never happy with this public image and the Howard collection contains Neopost specimen marks from as early as eptember 1923 in which the King's head is the central motif. His aim was to make the meter frank look more like an adhesive stamp currently in use, simulated perforations included. Over the next two years much discussion ensued and it was made clear from the start that the King's head would not be allowed to be applied by commercial firms. In the end a design using the Royal Cypher was suggested by Mr'Howard (who worked in the ecretary's office). The collection, appropriately, contains his original sketch together with progressive proofs and specimens from Neopost which culminated with the design adopted for all machines in Research at Post Office Archives continued periodically throughout the year and a number of interesting early essays and specimens will be transferred to the Museum collection. In total, some 320 sheets have been written up with material mounted. 54-3

4 role the N ] Pnstal Museum_ London 1992, "Work in Progress" Friend jack Peach reports Over the years the Museum has acquired a considerable quantity of material relating to Meter Franking. It is at present sorted in boxes more or less as received. The objective of the tasks now being undertaken is to assess, catalogue, arrange logically and mount the items, suitable for easyreference in the future and for display. Main sources of material are as follows. 1. A collection of franked covers etc purchased in auction in This was assembled by a Mr H.J. Howard employed in the ecretary's Office of the G.P.O. at the time meter franking machines were introduced. The collection covers the period from 1920 to 1954 but is strongest in the early material. 2. A collection of machines, instructional and ad vertisingleaflets,parts lists, stationeryand some meter frankmarks rnainlyoriginatingfrom Pitney Bowes, including some books and articles. The collection was formed by thel ate Mr M.J. heppard, one-time employee of Pitney Bowes Ltd. 3. Other machines and associated documentation acquired in recent years. Includes some early franked items donated by Professor Hartree. 4. Other franked covers acquired in recent years. 5. Proofs and pecimens taken from files housed in the Post Office Archives and replaced by photographs. Machines ome 22 machines have been examined and a listing of the main details prepared. The earliest machine in the collection is a Universal Postal Frankers Midget Mk3 introduced in 1926; also of note is a Pitney Bowes Model F with CV meter introduced in The mostrecent type acquired is a Neopost Model 7505L. Operational Data The heppard Collection of Ephemera has been surveyed, the main items noted and separated into broad categories. It is intended to prepare a file for each type of machine to contain advertising brochures, operational and servicinginstructions. Franks A starthasbeen made wi th cataloguing the materi al in the 'Howard Collection' and merging into this related items from Post Office Archives. This has entailed research at the Archives which brought to light about 30 files which, due to an oversight, had not been placed in the Public Domain in the 1960s. These files provided much information which enabled the material to be placed in chronological order. Very early material from the Archives has been mounted and written up to provide a background. o far material relating to the following machines has been mounted: Pitney Bowes Model A Universal H Universal Midget (3 value) Universal NZ Universal pecial Midget Neopost Fixed Value In addition material relating to the change of frank design in 1927 has been assembled, mounted and written up for display. This indud es original drawings by H.J. Howard which formed the basis of the new design. Die proofs and early specimens prepared by Neopost are also included. By the end of eptember over 220 display sheets had been prepared. Early Meter Trial A VERY IMPORTANT acquisition was made in the field of meter franks which are being studied by Jack Peach. This hitherto unknown item was offered in auction. It had been found, probably some time ago, in the Moss records in New Zealand. Moss were early manufacturers of meter frank machines who offered their products to the British Post Office before World War I. The five franks, of a 1910 design, were made by a Moss Model C machine introduced in New Zealand in The place name is London but it seems there is no record of the type either in the Moss records or in the relevant files in Post Office Archives. There was a UK trial of the Model C machine in 1909 and specimens are in the Museum collection. As Archive correspondence shows that the Model C machine was officially rejected early in 1910 it would seem that having made the new dies the Moss company decided not to take the matter further for another nine years. Two meter machines were also added to the collection. Both were manufactured by Neopost. One was hand-operated as introduced in 1964 with 10 values (originally 2%d-1/-, corrected to 14-6p). The other was electric as introduced in 1985, multi-value, the maximum being 999'5. w METER FRANK: proof specimen of 1912 London die for the Moss Model C machine. 53-4

5 What follows is a list of townmarks which are exceptions to the standard town and province. I also point out that many used one or more postage meters. Many are military. CAMP erial No Year VALCARTIER CAMP / P.Q PETAWAWA CAMP / ONT HILO CAMP / MANITOBA RIVER CAMP / MANITOBA CAMP BORDEN / ONT PRIONER OF WAR CAMP - WW II P,O.W P.O.W P.O.W NAVAL POT OFFICE N.P.O. 617/ N.P.O / N.P.O / N.T.O / VICTORIA / F.M.O VICTORIA / H.M.C. DOCKYARD B.C F.M.O. VICTORIA / B.C F.M.O. HALIFAX / N ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE POT OFFICE R.C.A.F. CENTRALIA / ONTARIO R.C.A.F. CLINTON / ONTARIO R.C.A.F. ROCKCLIFFE / ONTARIO R.C.A.F. T. JEAN / P.Q R.C.A.F. DAWON CREEK / B.C R.C.A.F. AKATOON / AK R.C.A.F. - ARC BAGOTVILLE / P.Q R.C.A.F. TATION UMMERIDE / P.E.I R.C.A.F. TATION CHATHAM / N.B R.C.A.F. TATION GREENWOOD / N R.C.A.F. TATION T.HUBERT / P.Q R.C.A.F. TATION TRENTON / ONT R.C.A.F. TATION BAGOTVILLE / P.Q R.C.A.F. TATION UPLAND / ONT R.C.A.F. TN. / BORDEN ONT. _ R.C.A.F. TN / NORTH BAY ONT J1

6 R,C,A,F, TN / T. JEAN QUEBEC R.C.A.F. TN. / UPLAND ONT R.C.A.F. TN. / COLD LAKE ALBERTA R.C.A.F. TN. / COLD LAKE ALTA R.C.A.F. TN. / MOOE JAW AK CENTRALIA R.C.A.F. / ONTARIO ROCKCLIFFE M.P.O. 306 / ONTARIO ROCKCLIFFE R.C.A.F. / ONTARIO ARMY AND FORCE POT OFFICE C.A.P.O. / C.A.P.O. / C.F.P.O. / C.F.P.O. / C.F.P.O. / M.P.O. 310 BELLEVILLE / ONT CANADIAN M.P.O CANADIAN M.P.O C.F.P.O / BELLEVILLE ONT CANADIAN A.P.O. / C FPO / Townmarks bearing a postal code were covered in a previous issue and are not repeated. There is a new design for postage paid-in-cash indicia. hown below is a Lettermail from our friends at Revenue Canada and a Bulk Mail from Maclean's. The "bullet" seems to be a bit overpowering but it is something else to collect. Postage paid Port paye Lattermall Postionlettres CANADA POT Potlage paid Bulk POTE CANADA Poo pay. Nombre AAHL

7 Pitney Bowes is now marketting the Personal Mailing ystem, a part of the Personal Post Office which has a weigh scale and the proper postage is removed from your computer and an image is printed. Holds from l to $ A code is "oho" in the TV ads which means "mall office, Home office". I don't think I have seen one to recognize yet. Wilf Whitehouse sent me the cuts below. They are from our temporary Type The ALERT BAY serial is Also shown is a new serial block for meter Note the small star or maple leaf in the lower right corner and there is a period after the C of BC, but not between. 5'.7'9a -4 Z.216F EOF C NIA POTE : CANADA NIA 0.45 E c A NADA -A_ There is some new information on the RPO mailing machines but will hold it until the Post Office gets it sorted out. uggest you hang on to any that comes your way and hope they do not fade. I notice that some meter inks seem to be soluble and disappear into the envelope. Maybe it is my aging eyes! Bilingual slogans started in Is this gossip right? The PB Model 5717 started with but all else the same as the Model 5711, including the curved top "6". hown below is meter with the straight "6". Also the highest seen to date is as shown. F.11 CVAPTEUP CAMPBELL-COX LI1.,9l.TEC.) P.O. BOX 623 GUELPH, ONTARIO Ni H 61-3 The PB Model 5740 with double triads started 1 Apr 1985 with serial block starting at saj,..h!v 0 2 Xl 85

8 RONEO-NEOPOT Roneo was a division of Rapid Data ystems and Equipment of Toronto. They first distributed postage meters in Canada in 1950 under the Neopost name. The meters were small, hand operated, having only 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 100 values. These meters were marketed until 1960 and at the end of 1966 there were still about 25 of these machines in use across Canada. The last one was used in The reason for replacing these fixed value meters was they did not print the higher postage rates. Roneo decided there was a market for small, low cost, electric meters which combined the meter and base into a single unit. The customer did not have to buy a base mailing machine. The Roneo Neopost Model 205 was introduced in England in 1963 and was submitted for test by Canada Post in December The model 205 was distributed in Canada in February The machines were assembled in England without the impression dies. There was some delay in their use, as well as for Friden, as the post office was unable to supply the proper size of gummed tape and the machines could not be modified to accept the regular tape. The Neopost Model 105 and 205 were hand-operated "pressing iron" type machines which were put on test 15 ep The Roneo-Neopost indicia dies are in 3 sections - the frank, townmark and postal ad. There are separate dies for each. The dies have been engraved in Canada since 1971 and in England before. Model 105 had to use multiple impressions to print higher postage rates but the company quit marketing it. They only used two meters -- the Model 205 and the Model 405/505 which used the same meter. The larger datemark on the Model 205 is due to a larger spindle on the British machine. The small date meters have a smaller round axle or spindle. The indicia is made of brass. Model 2205 is an electric machine but the update is only on appearance. BAIC TYPE DECRIPTION Model 105 Indicium is 66 x 25 overall and has a setting of 19. Townmark (TM) is single circle 25 with 2 arcs. Province is abbreviated with a period. The province font is smaller than the town font. Datemark (DM) is DMY, month in Roman Numerals sans serifs except for I, II, III, Numbers are 3 mm high. Ratemark (R1\4) is a rectangular box 25 x 21 with CANADA at the top. At the bottom are METER/COMPTEUR and RN and serial number. Vertically at sides are POTE and POTAGE. The rate is within a box 13 x 13 and surmounted by a crown. The value is 5 mm high with serifed figures.

9 erial block begins at Highest seen is Model Indicia is 56 x 25 and with an ad is 93 overall. etting is 7. Townmark is 25 single circle, with 2 arcs. DM -- DMY 4 mm high RM as Model 205 except 25 x 25. Value box is 13 x 16 Value is 000, 5 mm high Ad can be printed in a different colour, setting is 10 erial block is from Highest seen is Model 405/505 Indicia is 31 x 25, 68 overall with an ad. etting is 11 TM is C 25, DM is 3 mm non serif except 1,11,111 RM 13 x 17 mm Model 105 Value mm high. Note, the earliest meters only printed 2 figures of value Ad 38 x 22 setting 17 erial block is from Highest seen is I sow, / AM/ Amor /Ell/ AM II REDUCE MAIL HANDLING COT... POTALIA machines for any mailing need; POTALIA features the only self- OA* d postage meter; TALIA controls your mailing xpenses, imprints from 1; to $9.99; POTALIA adds prestige to your correspondence; Name Address POTALIA backed by a half City century of experience. Telephone (416) buy, rent or lease at most competitive prices!! end more information! Call for appointment

10 CMG METER CATALOG Type Indicia Remarks..., ; 1 a 13a-:ic type - b A ' ( 28 _ X 74 -s=": 2_ 8 T A L. ' 0 NI L'.:;7n r, s-,:i7:' G C TM - BIC, 4-arcs t- 0 ICC1/4."Pill?.- `-'.? A.77"--NO\. P o 0 8 X 76 z 7 E cs,\,,,..-,, ifii \,.'''' '''''/ 10 P C 5 A G E li-rg " RN700b B dui X 70..i I,. P -7 /-,,1/2. 0 IVaita) 6, -- P 0 s -r A 0 TM - pecimen type hpor RN.7M TM - error, spelling MUKA, should be MUKWA 0 ic I. fgs u- 12, 4 '1 1 r o 3 If 72 s T 1. A -G \ ss...,_../- HAtri 1;;"g'RN 70,01091 neopost En> y4auiri a arersato - ROM EO FOR MAILROOM AUTOMATION ROMEO L'AUTRE COMPTEUR POTAL

11 Type CMG METER CATALOG Indicia Remarks 34.2 Basic type, single circle 34.2A TM - NEOPOT / PECIMEN TM - dbc with 2 arcs F-6-psscco r Fc; E 1-:;;; RN I TM - dbc with 4 arcs TM - NEOPOT / PECIMEN, sdc 4-1(

12 CMG METER CATALOG Type Indicia Remarks Basic type T-Z p.=," A 4 b--- R 17 n =r- ' -- i,z " 1 ":7:,' RN : _c 1Z9E1 0T),, 1---;-._ Is. w 29 XII 77 ) E '' '----4 PECitAc- I cc 77 RN 0 Dom A OT-1 c ' P T A G e TM - NEOPOT / PECIliMEN type A, ITZ 1-0 p - o 7 XII 76,-74 \\.\''',. "'':1:'!"' ' - A N A 1:3;471 tov Ni. cc: 7X RN P. T. E TM - single circle with 4 arcs F P TM - CFPO / , N ATAT 'AGE PA-ID, PORT PALY, '-') ' 21.`,Kt 72 E. N / 505\ i `7.. RN + 7,754I8 : -..(, c, A V. 1 r,',1 f:3 dil DM - no townmark rp 0 T (' 1 30 X 73 T G E ".7,7 RN j

13 Type CMG METER CATALOG Indicia Remarks RM - 2 digits of value, dollar --0" not set to print 6 tx."`.! A 1:.1., 1 0,e -_,;.--, E A E 4

14 CANADIAN POTAGE METER & MACHINE CO., LTD. TORONTO, CANADA OFFICE OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR May 12, Col. Harold Mayne Daly, Blackburn Bldg., Ottawa, Ont. Dear Colonel Daly: The envelope in which this letter was delivered to you is commemorative of the Coronation of His Majesty, King George VI. It is a souvenir which less than five hundred persons can possess because no additional copies will be run off from the only die in existence. This fact will be of interest to you as a Philatelist or to any friend who is a tamp Collector. In hundreds of thousands of business firms throughout the world, the old form of postage stamp has been pensioned off in favour of Meter Postage tamps. Their study and collection by Philatelists is steadily increasing. The introduction to the tanley Gibbons' Postage tamp Catalogue, published in Great Britain for 1936, contains these significant words: "The increasing use of automatic franking machines is rendering it harder to obtain adequate supplies of used stamps, and many modern stamps in this condition have had to be raised in price." In other words, the use of the old-fashioned Post Office label is decreasing. Unchanged since 1840, it was one of the last of the early Victorian

15 inventions to be modernized while most of the other great inventions of the world were perfected and popularized. We are proud to take advantage of this opportunity of commemorating in the most up-to-date postal manner, the greatest event of the current Quarter Century. incerely yours, CANADIAN POTAGE or METER ate' & ACHINE CO., LTD. Managing: Director. dcor 0 N AT _Tr HI01$1111JEPI, tolivenmi6kg& RED fair PERONAll Mr. B. F. Griggs, Guelph Carpet & Worsted pinning Mills Ltd., Guelph, Ont4 CANADIAN POTAGE METER & MACHINE CO., LTD. TORONTO, CANADA - s"

16 Example Pitney Bowes souvenir cover from Royal Visit of on the 000asion of the landing, of Their Majesties on Canadian soil:at quebeo City, - Provinoe of queneo, May l7th, CANADIAN POTAGE METER AND MACHINE CO., LTD. 231 T. JAME T. WET. MONTREAL - QUEBEC Mx. D.P. Bowes, Room t. James t Montreal. Transatlantic flight cover via Newfoundland, 1939 THE POTAGE METER COMPANY PI TN EY, to rmo ef..!,..i.13 OW WALNUT. PACIFIC A CROBY T. TAMFORD. CONN., U.. A. VIA AIR MAIL TrLnsatlantic Flight by Experia1 Airways By Transatlantic Air ;Mail, via I,anerial Airv,ays Mail Plane, "Caribou", on Return Flight under First Regular Eervire between Great Britain, Eire, Newfoundland, Canada and U..A. Br. Walter H. Bowes, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Universal Postal Frankers, Ltd., 1/7 Canonbury treet, London, N.1., ENGLAND...!"-^"7 /""777-9-, A EXPO '67 slogan on Commercial Controls meter 40082, dated MAY 1, /6